my ped wants me to start cereal

kimberley wrote: ugh is there no support out there at all for moms who want to EBF?!?! Jade had her 5 mo appt today and has only gained 4oz in the past month but she has had 2 colds and is teething. before that she was always in the 75th-90th percentile for weight. i honestly think she isn't ready and i know i'm not. i tried a couple of drops of water a few times and she just pushed it out of her mouth with her tongue. i know next month if she doesn't have a substantial weight gain and he finds out i didn't start the cereal he is gonna be mad. everything in me tells me i am making the right decision with plenty of articles to prove my reasoning but they make me feel like i am doing something wrong that will hurt my baby. this is like my induction all over again. i didn't want it, they made me feel like a bad mom so i caved and i had no control over my birth experience. it was one intervention after another! the playgroup for aug 03 babies is just as bad as the peds. me and one other lady are the only two who haven't started solids. some are already giving those jarred pasta meals and fruit and veg! their poor little digestive tracts! i am just feeling frustrated and completely without support on my decisions. chosing APing methods was the only thing for me but it hurts that there is so little support from even the medical professionals. thanks for listening.

amynicole21 replied: Well, you'll find plenty of support here! I would wait on the cereal - there is no harm in waiting a few more weeks. If your Ped doesn't support your beliefs for raising your child, I'd find one that does. It is so important that you feel you can be honest with your ped and get support.

I started Sophia on cereal at 5 1/2 mos, but I should have waited I think. Listen to your heart - she's your baby after all!

DansMom replied: ITA, you should shop around for a pediatrician who supports your parenting style if that is an option. I wish I had waited to introduce solids to Daniel until at least 6 months. Don't go against your own intuition, and trust what you know from your own research. Especially if you have allergies in your family, the longer you wait the better.

kimberley replied: unfortunately a new ped is not an option. there are only 2 peds in my area accepting new patients and one is their ped now and the other was the boys' ped. she is nice but she only works 3 days a week, it is almost impossible to get an emergency appt and you have to wait hours to see her even with an appt because she is an allergist too. she had me start the boys on cereal at about 3-4 mos old so it's no different. i often wonder how different it would be for james if we waited. maybe his eczema, allergies wouldn't be as bad.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: My best friend was just talking to me about this issue. Her doctor actually told her not to start her baby (she is 5 mos old) on solids yet. She said since she is BF'ing that is enough for her. My best friend asked my opinion and I told her that breast milk is all a baby needs at this point and she shouldn't worry herself with it if her doctor isn't pressing the issue.

IMHO I think Jade is healthy and will be fine to go longer without solids. Do what your intuition tells you to. Who cares if the doctor gets mad. Jade is your child and if you are feeding her regularly you are not putting her in harms way. LIke you said, I think this is just her common practice. My ped was the same way when Maddie was younger. What she doesn't know won't hurt her.

coasterqueen replied: IMO there are many reasons why she could have not gained this month, but none of them are serious enough to start a baby on cereals! PEDS are so quick to do this because that is the "norm" and that is what they were taught.

My PED is very pro-Bf and yes, he still told me I could start cereals at that age, of course I did because he said so but stopped when I found out why one SHOULD wait.

Go with your gut on this one! Don't do it because your PED thinks you should. The good thing, even if he makes you feel like a bad mommy you don't have to see him again til her next appt and then you can start solids. Hehehehe.

We are here to support you for sure! Sometimes we just have to be our own advocates and do what we think is right down deep in our gut, ya know? I already know that if I would have read more on the chicken pox vaccine that I wouldn't have let Kylie have it. I did it because the PED said to

I feel like I have not educated myself about enough and have quickly done what I've been "told" to do and THAT makes me feel like a bad mommy. So again, do what you think is right. You won't regret it later. I promise

Jamison'smama replied: Just sending more support--I EBF until 6 months then just gave her cereal once every few days until 6.5 months. Wait as long as you see fit--you are the expert on your baby!

MomToMany replied:
I'm SO sorry you are being treated like that! Boy, you definitely need a new Ped!! I wouldn't put up with that treatment.

You know what's best for your baby. You know what early introduction of solids can do to a baby. You cna't help what other mothers do with their children, but you to wait, so that's good!! Hannah didn't start solids until 8-9 months old. Even then she never cared for them. My Dr. thought I was weird, but I didn't care. She's perfectly healthy, despite her asthma.

Kaitlin'smom replied: I wish I would have waited myself but I was pressured and since I was a first time mommy I gave in. I was told to try at 3 months well i waited a little and it gave her an upset tummy and kept her up all night. I was also lead to believe it would help her sleep.....so wrong in my case it made her sleep worse. So after 2 times of nigthmare nights I held off again till she was about 5 months well she hated the stuff would not eat it. anyway do what you feel is right she is your baby and your not going to hurt her but not forcing it on her. and if your doc does nnot agree then maybe its time to change, nothing worse than having a doc you dont like.

aspenblue1 replied: I would do what you fell is right for your baby. I started feeding Isabella when she became interested in it. I would always BF 1st then give her cereal. If you can't get another ped I would tell him this is your choice and you are doing what is best for you child. Maybe try going over the info with him about BF babies.

A&A'smommy replied: ugh that is SOO mean, you are her mom (and such a great mom too!!) and you know whats best for your baby, i think you should go with your heart and do what you think is best and tell her ped. that (easier said than done i know). I have had a few people tell me that i should start alyssa on cereal now i think their crazy! Go with your heart!!

MommyToAshley replied: on your Ped! No one knows what is better for your DD than you. Go with your gut. Your Ped gave his opinion, but you can choose not to follow it. My Ped recommened CIO for Ashley when she was 6 months old. At her next visit, I flat out told my Ped that I just couldn't do it... so we talked about other ways to get her to self-soothe. I would just be honest with your Ped and tell him you are not going to start cereal.

I did start Ashley on cereal around 4.5 months because BF was not satifying her. She would nurse and still be hungry a few minutes later. She did really well with the cereal and didn't push it back out. And, she loved the taste and begged for more. (I made it very thin and with EBM) But, if Jade is satisfied with BF, then I say go with your gut... no one knows your daughter better than you.

CantWait replied: shame on your ped for telling you what you should do. I know the exact feeling. Anthony is 6 months and he's pretty much eating everything now, but only because bf doesn't satisfy him and he's constantly opening his mouth when we're eating. Follow your gutt. That's one thing I didn't do with Robbie, but I now resist the urges to do everything the ped says. Contary to what their diploma says, they don't know everything

paradisemommy replied: ita with everyone else..i ignored everyone too and ebf him for the first 6 months exclusively..then at about 6 to 6 1/2 months is when i started slowly feeding him cereal but he wasn't a big fan - it wasn't until about 7 or 8 months that he really started eating solids..

go with your gut instinct..they are usually about 99% accurate...love that mommy intuition!!

jem0622 replied: That is absolute BUNK! Holy cow! When you are ready, and when she is ready (reaching for food on your plate) then go ahead. Especially because of the percentile that she is in. Forget those people! HUGS to you.

mckayleesmom replied: That is what I like about my ped...he doesn't tell me what to do..I ask his opinion and he gives me his. Then I will try it if he thinks its ok or what not.

Raindr0p2433 replied: Just go with your own judgement. My son is almost 5 mnths and hasn't started solids yet...won't until he's at least 6 months....I did the same for my DD. My ped agree with me though because my kids were so big (both over 10lbs at birth), and have remained "big"......babies only start solids to offer new tastes and textures...not for any nurtitional value...at least not at this age....if you don't want to start solids...don't

kimberley replied:
thanks! we didn't really start a regular feeding routine yet and it is a month later. i have let her taste rice cereal and apple sauce and bananas and she does not like any of it. we only let her try it because she was starting to grab at our plates and smack her lips but when she actually gets the taste in her mouth, she dives for BM lol! she is 17lbs 5 oz at 7 months and was born at 7lbs 3oz, so i think she is doing just fine without solids and feel much better about not forcing them yet.